Israeli minister calls for resettlement in Gaza after ICC arrest warrants for Netanyahu, Gallant

An Israeli minister on Thursday called for the reestablishing of settlements in the Gaza Strip after the International Criminal Court (ICC) issued arrest warrants for Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and former Defense Minister Yoav Gallant.

"Jewish settlement here is the answer to the horrific massacre (referring to the Hamas Oct. 7 attack)," Housing and Construction Minister Yitzhak Goldknopf said on X, sharing photos from a visit to the Netzarim area in central Gaza, which separates northern Gaza from the south.

The far-right minister also framed the resettlement initiative as a direct response to the ICC's arrest warrants, which accuse Netanyahu and Gallant of war crimes and crimes against humanity during the ongoing Israeli genocide in Gaza.

Last week, the ICC issued arrest warrants for Netanyahu and former Defense Minister Gallant for war crimes and crimes against humanity in Gaza.

Israel evacuated its settlements and military presence from Gaza in 2005 following a unilateral disengagement plan. However, in recent months, Israeli ministers and lawmakers have renewed calls to reestablish settlements in the enclave, a move met with firm Palestinian opposition and widespread regional condemnation.

Earlier this week, Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich advocated for reoccupying Gaza and reducing its Palestinian population by half through "voluntary migration." Palestinian leaders have denounced such statements as violations of international law.

Israel has launched a genocidal war on the Gaza Strip following a Hamas attack in October last year, killing nearly 44,300 people, most of them women and children, and injuring over 104,700.

The second year of genocide in Gaza has drawn growing international condemnation, with officials and institutions labeling the attacks and blocking of aid deliveries as a deliberate attempt to destroy a population.

Israel also faces a genocide case at the International Court of Justice for its deadly war on Gaza.